USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 6
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held, but on April 11, 1828, the board received the report from the commis- sioners appointed by statute to select and locate the seat of justice for Han- cock county. This report was accepted and ordered spread on the commis- sioners' record. By the acceptance of this report, the present site of Green- field became fixed as the county seat of Hancock county. The report is as follows :
"Indiana, to wit: Hancock County
"Pursuant to an Act of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, approved December 24, A. D. 1827, James Smock. Thomas Martin, and Levi Jessup, three of the Commissioners appointed by the aforesaid, met at the house of Samuel Jackson, in said County of Hancock on Monday the 7th day of April. A. D. 1828, and after being sworn as the law directs : proceed to the discharge of the duties of our appointment. On Tuesday the 8th day of April, John Anderson appeared and was sworn as a Commissioner appointed by the Act aforesaid, and on the same day Richard Blacklidge appeared and was sworn as a Commissioner appointed as aforesaid. And after examining the several sites shown to us and duly considering all their donations offered, we have unanimously agreed to accept a donation of sixty acres of land donated by Cornwell Meek. John Wingfield, and Benjamin Spilman, bounded as follows to wit: Beginning at the line dividing Sections Thirty-two and Thir- ty-three in Township Sixteen North, Range Seven East, where the National Road crosses said line thenee running north thirty rods from the north side of said Road and the same distance south from the south side of said County Road. Thence west on lines parallel with the said road one hundred and sixty rods to the open line dividing Sections Thirty-two and Five, north and south, to contain sixty acres, which we have selected as the permanent seat of Justice for the Hancock. And it is further agreed and allowed by us that the donors aforesaid be allowed every fourth block in that part of the town respectively donated by them in manner following to wit: John Wingfield and Benjamin Spilman to be entitled to every fourth block, the County Com- missioners having first choice, and that Cornwell Meek be allowed every fourth block on that part of town donated by him, the said Cornwell Meek to have first choice in the first four blocks and afterward for the County Commissioners to have the first choice, and it is moreover further agreed by 11s that the donors aforesaid be allowed to remove all their building, rails. boards, and board timber already sawed off which may be included in their respective donation. And we have further received donations by subscrip-
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
tion amounting in cash, labor, and lumber, to two hundred and sixty-five dollars. And furthermore we have taken bond on the donors aforesaid for the conveyance of the land above described, which with the papers containing the subscriptions aforesaid is submitted to the County Commissioners.
( Signed ) "JAMES SMOCK "THOMAS MARTIN "LEVI JESSUP "JOHN ANDERSON "RICHARD BLACKLIDGE."
Jared Chapman was appointed county agent to sell the lots and account for the moneys as provided by the statute.
On April 11. 1828. the board also ordered "that the seat of Justice of Hancock county, shall be known and designated by the name and title of Greenfield. ( The Seat of Justice of Hancock County. )"
Even at this early day the county was not unmindful of those who might be in need. At the May term. 1828, John Hager and Noble Banks were appointed overseers of the poor in Sugar Creek township, and James Reeves and David Vangilder, overseers of the poor in Brandywine township.
Fence viewers were also appointed at the same term, George Baity and James Anderson for Sugar Creek, William Simmons and Isaac Roberts for Brandywine, and Harmon Wareham and Abraham Miller for Blue River township.
To meet the expenses of the new county government, the board. at the May term, 1828, made the first tax levy. The first rate of taxation on the persons and property of Hancock county was as follows: Polls, 50 cents : horse, 371/2 cents: work ox. 1834 cents; silver and pinchbeck watches, 25 cents ; gold! watches, $1.00; land, one-half state tax.
John Foster, acting sheriff of the county, was appointed collector of revenue for the year 1828.
At this time. May 4. 1828, the board also appointed the first grand jurors, who were to serve at the September term of the Hancock circuit court, and who have been named above. On the same day the board also drew the following list of names from which the first petit jury was to be chosen for the September term of the Hancock circuit court: Josiah Van- meter, Thomas Phillips. Sr., Joseph Mitchell, Adonijah Rambo, William Wil- son, Jr., Jacob Manan. Daniel Smith, Andrew Flowers, William Simmons, Warner Copeland, George Smith, John Harwood, Solomon Catt, William Burris, Ambrose Shirley and Harry Pierson. No jury cases were tried at this term. hence these men did not serve.
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COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
The organization of the Hancock circuit court, as above stated, with two associate judges and the presiding judge, was maintained until 1852. The presiding judge alone, or the presiding judge and one associate judge, could hold court, but the two associate judges could not hold court in the absence of the presiding judge except to hear certain matters in chancery or equity. The associate judges were not always elected from the legal pro- fession, but were chosen rather because they were good, substantial business men, in whose character and intelligence people had confidence. The men who served one or more terms as associate judge from 1828 to 1852, were: Jacob Jones, James Stevens, John Ogg. Robert McCorkhill, Nathan Craw- ford. George Henry, Hector H. Hall, George Tague, Owen Jarrett, Andrew T. Hatfield, P. H. Foy.
In 1852 the number of judges of the Hancock circuit court was reduced from three to one.
When the court was first organized it was made a part of the fifth judicial circuit. It remained a part of this circuit until February 1, 1859, when it was made a part of the seventh judicial circuit. In 1873 the eighteenth judicial circuit was formed of Hancock and Henry counties. In 1889 this circuit was divided, and since that time the Hancock circuit court of Hancock county has constituted the eighteenth judicial circuit. The following men have presided over this court since its organization :
Judges Elected or AAppointed
Bethnel F. Morris 1828
William W. Wick 1835
James Morrison 1840
William J. Peasley 1843
William W. Wick 1850
Stephen Major
1853
Joseph S. Buckles
1859
Joshua II. Mellett
1870
Robert J. Polk
Mark E. Forkner 1876
1881
William H. Martin
1888
Charles G. Offutt 1 894
Edward W. Felt
1900
Robert L. Mason 1906
Earl Sample
1912
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
Since the organization of the county there has always been a probate court. having jurisdiction of the settlement of decedent's estates, the care and preservation of the property of minors and of persons of unsound mind. etc. Such a court was first organized at the house of Samuel B. Jackson on December 8. 1828, by the associate judges of the Hancock circuit court. The record shows that this court convened in December. 1828, and in March. 1829. It fails to show, however, that any probate business was transacted.
Under another statute, another probate court was organized in 1829. and was maintained until 1852. Three men presided over this court : Jeremiah Meek. until 1836: John Ogg, from 1836 until 1850, and Samuel Hottle, from 1850 until 1852. The probate judges, like the associate judges, were elected because of character and business ability rather than for their technical knowledge of the law.
In 1852 the Legislature passed an act establishing the common pleas courts in the state, which took over all the business of the former probate courts and also had jurisdiction of some other matters. Under this act. the common pleas court of Hancock county became a part of a circuit composed of Rush, Decatur, Madison and Hancock counties. Section 5 of the act of 1852 provided that "the circuit and common pleas courts shall have concur- rent jurisdiction in all actions against heirs, devisees and sureties of executors, administrators and guardians, in the partition of real estate, assignment of dowers, and appointments of a commissioner to execute a deed on any title bond given by the decedent." This provision means that any action or lawsuit against any of the persons, or for any of the purposes, set out in the act. could be brought in either the Hancock circuit court or in the Hancock com- mon pleas court. The common pleas court was in fact a probate court, and was maintained until it was abolished by the act of March 6, 1873. In the office of the clerk of the Hancock circuit court may be seen the two sets of books or records of the courts of the county covering the period from 1852 10 1873-the records of the Hancock circuit court and of the Hancock court of common pleas. Since 1853 the Hancock circuit court has had juris- diction of all probate matters within the county, and it is now our only county court.
The following men presided over the Hancock court of common pleas :
Judges
Elected
David S. Gooding
1852
Richard Lake
1856
William Grose
1860
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COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
David S. Gooding 1861
William R. West
1864
Robert L. Polk 1872
The vahic of property in those days was not very high, and personal property was not very plentiful. Hence, in order to meet the current ex- penses of the county, other methods than the tax levy were resorted to. The law of the state permitted the board of commissioners to impose a revenue upon licenses granted to sell groceries, merchandise, liquors, etc. Our county commissioners took advantage of this law, and their first records contain a great number of orders like the following :
"It is ordered that Elijah Tyner is licensed to vend foreign merchandise at his store on Brandywine for and during a term of six months from and after this date [November, 1828]. And the said Elijah Tyner here now files receipt from under the hand of the Treasurer of his having paid five dollars as a tax on said license."
"On application of Joseph Chapman for a license to retail spirituons and strong liquors, foreign and domestic groceries at his grocery at the town of Greenfield in the County of Hancock. Indiana; Therefore it is ordered by the Board that the said Joseph Chapman be licensed as such for and during the period of one year from the date of his license [November. 1829] upon paying the license fee of $5.00."
"On application of Samuel S. Duncan for a license to open a tavern at his tavern in Brandywine Township and County of Hancock; Therefore it is ordered and considered by the Board that the said Samuel S. Duncan be licensed as such for and during the term of one year from the date of his paying a tax of $5.00 and by filing his bond with approved security."
AAs early as 1834 the report of the county treasurer also shows that he collected a license fee of five dollars for a "circus performance."
The license fees imposed upon the retail and tavern business varied from five dollars to fifteen dollars for different years. The commissioners' records show that the county collected a large amount of money from this source dur- ing its carly history and in fact until 1852.
As the population of the county increased and business assumed more important proportions, some features of the early government were reor- ganized, and in some instances new offices were created. Thus, in the very early history of the county, three men were appointed in each township to ex- amine teachers, or pass upon their qualifications for teaching. In 1854. how- ever, a county examiner was provided for by law, whose duty it was to ex- amine all the teachers of the county, but who had very little other power.
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
111 1873 the county superintendent's office was created by a law which gave to the county superintendent supervisory as well as other duties in addition to examining teachers.
In 1891 the county assessor's office was created, so that one officer might have it within his power to discover the omission of any property from the tax sheets.
In 1899 a county council was provided for by statute, whose duty it is to consider the amount of money that may be expended for county purposes.
BOARD OF CHILDREN'S GUARDIANS.
The first board of children's guardians of Hancock county was appointed by Judge Felt, on February 22, 1905. The law under which this board was appointed provides that such board shall be composed of six persons, three of whom shall be women and every member of which shall be a parent. The members of the board are appointed by the circuit court and serve without compensation.
The board has the care and supervision of all neglected and dependent children under fifteen years of age domiciled and resident in the county for which it is created. It has power to take under its control, in the manner specified by law, any children abandoned, neglected or cruelly treated by their parents : children begging on the streets ; children of habitual drunkards or vic- ious and unfit parents ; children kept in vicious or immoral associations : chil- diren known by their language and life to be vicious and incorrigible, and juvenile delinquents and truants.
The first board appointed by Judge Felt was composed of the following members, who served during the periods indicated : William C. Welborn, three years; J. P. Knight, ten years ; W. C. Goble, six years : Mrs. J. M. Pogue, one year; Mrs. Dr. Barnes, eight years : Dr. Mary L. Bruner, ten years.
There have been resignations and the following appointments have been made to fill such vacancies: Mrs. A. P. Conklin. 1906, seven years: George J. Richman, 1908, six years ; Frank Larrabee, 1911, four years; Mrs. Ella Hough, 1913, two years; Mrs. Florence Larimore, 1913, two years.
The board at present is composed of Dr. Mary L. Bruner. Mrs. Florence Larimore, Mrs. Ella Hough, J. P. Knight, Frank Larrabee and George J. Richman.
In the performance of its duties, the board has taken and placed in homes thirty children and has inspected and tried to help in various ways twice as many more. The greater number of children taken by the board have been placed in home-finding institutions, such as White's Manual Institute at
JARED C. MEEK. First White Child Born in Greenfield
JOHN FIELDING MEEK, One of Hancock's Earliest Pioneers
JOSHUA MEEK, First County Recorder
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COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
Wabash and the Indianapolis Orphans' Home. By far the greater number of children taken from Hancock county have been placed in homes through the efforts of White's Manual Institute.
In view of the great number of roads that the county is taking charge of. a county road superintendent has been provided for, and the first appointment was made in this county in January, 1914.
It is interesting to observe, in the administration of county offices, that when the county was first organized, the offices of clerk, auditor and recorder were combined, and for four years the work of all of them was done by Lewis Tyner. For this reason his name appears as clerk of the Hancock circuit court, and also as auditor or clerk of the board of county commissioners at their first meetings. The filing and recording of the first deeds are also attested by his signature in the county recorder's office. In 1832 his term of office expired, and then a division was made of the official work of the county.
In that year Joseph Chapman, famous as one of the first politicians of the county, and whose fame bids fair to become national, became the clerk of the Hancock circuit court. In 1837 he was followed by John Hager, who held the office for twelve years. Both Chapman and Hager filled the office of clerk of the Hancock circuit court and also performed the duties of the auditor's office. In 1841 John Templin took his seat as the first county auditor of Hancock county. From 1832 10 1841 Joseph Chapman and John Hager. as clerk. Joshua Meek, as recorder, and Morris Pierson, as county treasurer, were the principal figures around the court house at Greenfield. A number of officers since that time have served eight years, as may be seen by referring to the tables appended hereto. During the last fifteen or twenty years, however, an unwritten law has put a limit of four years on every office- holder except the county commissioners, the most of whom have been serving two terms of three years each.
In 1832 the first county recorder. Joshua Meek, took his office, and served three terms of seven years each. I He owned a brick factory just north of what was then the town of Greenfieldl and much of his time was given to his individual business. His eldest son, Oscar F. Meek, was taken into the office when a mere lad and he began copying deeds with a quill pen in 1839-40. He developed a beautiful script when a hoy. and retained it until the time of his death, at the age of eighty-three years. His letters were always made small and he delighted to make little flourishes, and shade his letters. lle indulged in these little exhibitions of his skill to such an extent that it is even now pos- sible to point out practically every deed that he recorded, beginning with Deed
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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
Record "I", page 72, to Deed Record "O". page 220. He did not record all the deeds that were recorded during those years, but his fine, clear writing. with his frequent emphasis placed on the words. "This Indenture Witnesseth." "To Have and to Hold," and "Warrant and Forever Defend." distinguished his hand throughout the record. Early in 1847 he was seized with a severe illness which kept him out of the office for quite a while. In the latter part of that year. however, his presence is again attested by Deed Record "L". pages 174. 220. 272, etc. The beauty of those early records inspires frequent comment to this day among those who have occasion to inspect them. It was his fine hand that gave them this touch.
Among those who performed distinguished service in the county record- er's office, and who thereby endeared themselves to the people of the county. was Miss Mary N. Roberts. She was the daughter of County Recorder Nathaniel H. Roberts. She entered the office as her father's deputy in 1876. and performed the duties imposed upon her so efficiently that when her father died in 1881 public sentiment was in favor of giving her the emoluments of the office for the unexpired term. A\ public meeting of the citizens of the county was held at which a nonpartisan committee was appointed to select some person as the nominal recorder in whose name she should act. John W. Ryon was appointed. His name appears upon the record as county recorder, but Miss Roberts assumed all the responsibilities of the office and drew the salary.
Beginning with the administration of Henry .A. Swope, a series of depu- tyships began which developed several very efficient officers. Mr. Swope took into the clerk's office as deputy. Ephraim Marsh. During the several years that Mr. Marsh served in this capacity, he applied himself very earnestly to the study of law. In 1874 he himself was elected to the office, and served the people as clerk for a period of eight years. His training as a deputy under Mr. Swope, together with his legal knowledge, of course, made him an authority on questions pertaining to his office. Upon his election he selected as his deputy, Charles Downing. Mr. Downing served as deputy for eight years, then took charge of the office himself. admirably equipped for the execution of his duties, which extended through another period of eight years.
In the clerk's office. the present generation, and especially the members of the Hancock bar, will long remember the efficient and accommodating service of Moses C. Wood. He became his father's deputy in that office in 1899. He had mastered the intricate duties of the office so thoroughly when his father's term expired on January 1, 1905, that he was retained as deputy by Clerks Hall and Service during the following eight years. Not
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COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
only the successive clerks for whom he served, but the members of the bar as well, appreciated the ability and the technical knowledge which he brought to that office. In 1912 the people of the county honored him with an election to the office himself. He remained for awhile with his successor, Horace E. Wilson, then turned in his keys on July 1, 1915, after more than sixteen years of continuous service.
In the auditor's office the face of the present auditor, Lawrence Wood. has long been familiar to the people of the county. His experience in the execution of the duties of that office began during the administration of Law- rence Boring, under whom he served as deputy for five years. This was followed with four years more of service under Auditor Richman. In 1910 he was elected to the office for a term of four years, at the close of which he had rendered.the county thirteen years of efficient and accommodating service.
A few unfortunate things have also occurred in the administration of county affairs. On January 12, 1866, the safe in the county treasury was opened, and about thirteen thousand dollars was stolen. This was before there were any local banks, and the safe in the treasurer's office was the only safe in the county. County officers, township trustees, and many private citizens, deposited their money in this safe. The money for which the county treasurer was responsible amounted, it seems, to about five thousand dollars. The remaining portion of the money had been placed in the safe at the risk of the depositors. The county treasurer was held to be without fault, and at the June session of the board of county commissioners the following order was entered on their record :
"Whereas, it has been shown to the full satisfaction of the board of county commissioners of Hancock county, Indiana, by competent and suffi- cient evidence, that on the night of the 12th of January. A. D. 1866. the treas- urer's office of this (Hancock) county was feloniously entered, the iron safe broken open, and a large sum of money stolen therefrom. of which five thousand dollars was money belonging to Hancock county, the same having been collected by Nelson Bradley, treasurer of said county for the year 1865. and delinquencies for former years ; and,
"Whereas, it further appearing that said loss occurred without the acquiescence, negligence or fault of said Nelson Bradley, treasurer as afore- said : therefore.
"Be it ordered by the board aforesaid. that Nelson Bradley, treasurer of Hancock county, be, and he is hereby relieved and discharged from the pay- ment of the said sum of five thousand ($5,000.00) dollars so feloniously taken from the county safe as aforesaid."
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HANCOCK COUNTY. INDIANA.
The above finding and order did not satisfy everybody, and an action was instituted later to investigate the matter more fully. The investigation. however, by an anditing committee, only substantiated the former finding of the board of commissioners.
The matter caused a great deal of discussion and gossip, which occasioned several lawsuits. John Fulton was charged with the robbery. The testimony in the preliminary hearing of Fulton involved Jonathan Dunbar. Both defendants were acquitted. One Charles Livingstone, alias William Jackson. was suspected and later arrested at Pana, Illinois, and brought to Indiana for trial. He was found guilty, but before the close of the trial George Y. Atkison was indicted for perjury. Atkison was acquitted of this charge. Jon- athan Dunbar next brought an action against Atkison and McCorkhill for slander, as did also John Fulton against Taylor W. Thomas. All these actions terminated in favor of the defendants.
Though Mr. Bradley was saved from loss, not all of the depositors fared so well. David Priddy, trustee of Jackson township, lost eleven hundred dol- lars of township funds and others lost smaller amounts.
Isaiah A. Curry, while county treasurer. also had the misfortune to lose $7.366.34 in the failure of the Indiana Banking Company's bank at Indianapo- lis on August 9. 1883. The receiver of the bank afterward paid to the cred- itors a dividend of fifty per cent. on their claims. This still kept the sum of $3.683.17, a total loss to Mr. Curry, which amount he paid in full to the county upon going out of office on November 20. 1884. Ten years later. however. in 1893, a large number of citizens and taxpayers petitioned the General Assembly of the state, which was then in session, for the passage of a law for the relief of Mr. Curry and the repayment of the sum of $3.683.17 to him. The petitioners represented to the Legislature that they believed he was wholly without fault in the loss of that amount, and that such repay- ment would be an act of justice due an honest. faithful and efficient officer. The Legislature acted upon this petition, and by special statute directed the county auditor to issue his warrant upon the county treasurer for the above amount. By virtue of the passage of this act. Mr. Curry was reimbursed in full.
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